


Hold Your Fire

by orphan_account



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Eugene is a big brother to Varian, Feels, Gen, Takes place during once a handmaiden, Team Awesome, project obsidian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-19 08:49:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22874971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "Hold your fire," Eugene ordered, his face hardening as he glared at an unpredictable Cassandra.Too bad Varian hears the trigger click too late.-written by van_writes
Comments: 24
Kudos: 194





	Hold Your Fire

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Once a Handmaiden!

A giant ball of yellow exploded out of the weapon, the backfire making Varian flinch a little as he lifted his gaze from behind the scope. He could see the amber already forming into a tiny mountain, and a complicated mixture of pride and regret surged through him when Eugene crouched down beside him.  
  
He was beyond proud to be at his idol, Eugene's, side, training alongside him to protect Corona. But in the same sentence, he was staring straight back into the face of his past by using the amber solution to begin with.  
  
A wooden Cass target glared back at him tauntingly, completely untouched by the shot. Varian missed. Again.  
  
"Hey, kid, it's okay," Eugene said encouragingly, noticing Varian's disappointment. "Just a little more practice and you'll be knocking down every last target with your eyes closed!" He gave him a hearty pat on the back.  
  
Varian smiled. "Thanks," he glanced down at the wooden sniper like weapon in his hands. It was of his own design, and yet looked absolutely foreign to him. Sure, confidence overruled hesitation when Eugene had asked him to create a blueprint for protection that was a little more controlled than the Rooster. But now that he held it in his hands, fear began to creep back into the picture, making Varian have his doubts. The thought of using the amber solution again...  
  
"We need a weapon that will stop Cass and her army of black rocks," Eugene had listed, pacing the floorboards of Varian's messy lab. "Something that'll sever her power and keep her from destroying half the kingdom in a fit of rage."  
  
"Ooh ho ho! I can so imagine Flynn Rider using something like this!" Varian had exclaimed brightly, deaf to Eugene's frantic planning. He held it proudly in the air, brows drawn together as he announced the completion of his new weapon. "I call it, Project Obsidian!"  
  
Afterwards, the two wasted no time setting up the clearing to practice, and Varian had grown to appreciate Eugene's patience with him. After all, Varian had not hit the Cass target once, and the clearing was becoming a crowded mess of amber that greedily groaned for anything to step into its path.  
  
Varian resumed his position behind a wooden table before crouching, blinking one eye shut as he peeked through the scope. 'Cass' was standing threateningly in the exact same spot as before, her drawn face scowling at him angrily.  
  
Varian began to think about how things could have been different. If only he had convinced her that she was taking the wrong path. If he had made her see that he knew how she felt, and that there was a way to overcome and forgive. But she had pushed him away, both literally and figuratively, and threatened him and the others with her powers..  
  
He pulled the trigger.  
  
Amber slammed into the target with enough force to splinter the wood before it even began to encase it, and Varian felt a twinge of apprehension as he watched the amber devour the wooden Cass in a matter of seconds.  
  
"You got it!" Eugene jumped up beside him in celebration, fist pumping the air as he congratulated him. "Project Obsidian is a success!"  
  
Varian finally tore his gaze from the target, an uneasy feeling residing in the pit of his stomach before he pushed it away. He was doing this for Corona's safety. This was the only way..  
  
"Yeah!" Varian managed to cheer, bumping Eugene's fist with pride. Their celebration was cut off short, however as a familiar voice interrupted skeptically.  
  
"Project Obsidian, huh?" Rapunzel was standing behind them with a look of concerned disapproval. Her green gaze travels to the field of amber and her eyes shrink suddenly, hardly noticeable to Eugene, but it was magnified through Varian's perspective.  
  
The amber. It brought back horrible memories, Varian was sure of it. This entire time, he was trying not to think about the fact that this very solution held his father captive for 12 heartwrenching months...but something in Rapunzel's expression brought it entirely back into focus, making Varian feel faint. It was his fault. His fault. His fault...  
  
"Y-Yeah!" His words shot out of his mouth before his head could even stitch the sentence together, heart racing as he hid the bazooka like weapon behind his back. "It's a device that'll destroy Cassandr--"  
  
"Er..ahem!"  
  
"...ssandra's self esteem..!"  
  
Varian felt his face heat up in embarrassment as Eugene glared at him, lips pursed into an expression that read 'shut it.'  
  
With nothing left to say, Varian slipped out of the conversation, weapon still in hand. Once he was a good couple strides away, he put his focus into reloading the Project Obsidian, which was already running low on amber. Anything to keep him from looking in the direction of Rapunzel's gaze of distaste.  
  
Despite trying desperately not to pick up on their conversation, Varian's skin pricked with apprehension as he heard Rapunzel let out a huff of irritation once Eugene explained to her how his position as Captain makes him responsible for the kingdom's safety.  
  
"Look, we're not attacking Cassandra, Sunshine, it's just we need something to hold her off in case she tries something.." his voice trailed sympathetically. "Of course, we won't use this thing without your consent." Eugene added, producing a contract from his uniform pocket.  
  
Varian sent out a few test shots after reloading the weapon before his legs urged him back to Eugene's side, mouth forming words before he even realized it. "Princess, believe me, I don't want to hurt Cassandra either, but we can't promise that she's not gonna try to hurt us." Instantly, memories of being her hostage plague his mind; how rough she was with him despite her claiming her harsh actions were necessary to achieve her destiny and nothing more.  
  
In fact, the more Varian thought of it, the more he realized how rash she had been with him. She had drugged him and battered him mentally and physically, and even after trying so hard to bring her into the light, she refused, claiming everything she had done had been her choice.  
  
She knew what she was doing when she sent rocks slamming into his ribcage. She knew who she was hurting when she crushed the air out of Eugene in the grasp of black rocks. She knew building her stronghold at the remains of Rapunzel's old tower would get under her enemy's skin.  
  
She had known.  
  
He held the Project Obsidian a little tighter. This weapon was the only thing that could stop her from hurting him all over again. Begging obviously wouldn't work, and besides, the idea of pleading at Cass's feet made him feel small.  
  
Not anymore.  
  
Rapunzel's eyes studied the two for a moment longer before she hesitantly accepted, her brows furrowed in a mix of anger and disbelief. "Okay, fine, I will sign it to protect Corona, but," she paused with emphasis, nose scrunching her freckles and narrowing her eyes. "We won't need it because I know the Cass we love is still in there somewhere."  
  
And with that, the princess signed the paper.  
  
\- - -  
  
Varian's heart hammered in his chest as the guard came running towards them with sweat on his brow, eyes wide with exasperation as he sputtered at Eugene's feet.  
  
"Captain! Cassandra's in Corona, she's attacking the princess!" He reported, voice brisk and strained.  
  
Varian exchanged a determined glance with Eugene before taking the reigns of Fidella and urging her onward, eyes watering with anticipation. This was actually happening...  
  
The confidence in him from before had instantly vanished, making the bazooka at his back feel like a heavy weight as it bumped against him with every stride Fidella made. He was going to see her again, except this time, things were different. He had experienced her wrath first-hand, and the hopes he had for her were starting to dwindle.  
  
Corona would not fall to the hands of someone's rage and ambition. Not again.  
  
In sync with Eugene, Varian leapt off the saddle and pulled Project Obsidian around his front until he was once again looking through the scope and at his target.  
  
Only this time, the target was real.  
  
Cass stood rigidly in front of Rapunzel, her movements slow and...hesitant? Varian was jerked from his thoughts as Eugene sided him.  
  
"Hold your fire," Eugene ordered, his face hardening as he glared at an unpredictable Cassandra.  
  
Varian gave a curt nod, biting his lip as he crouched down. With a steady aim, Varian kept his eye pinned on Cass, despite the timid little voice in the back of his mind insisting he should run to her and convince her she had so much to hold onto. That she still could redeem herself as he had.  
  
The rusty sound came so sudden and far too quick for Varian to get out of his thoughts and realize what was happening.  
  
Click.  
  
Varian's entire line of vision was instantly obscured in a jet spray of hot yellow smoke, the unexpected backfire throwing him backwards and slamming the end of the weapon into his collarbone with enough force to make him sputter for breath. The explosion jabbed into his eardrums and shook his skull, fiery heat still clinging to his cheek from the steam it had ejected at him.  
  
Then, the sick creaking sound of the familiar yellow crystal followed, making Varian's heart stop and breath hitch in his throat. He scrambled to his feet, fingers still clenching the bazooka despite the fact his heart demanded he throw it as far away from him as possible.  
  
He could see Cassandra extend a hand, not in a way that would summon the deadly black rocks, but in shock? Fear?  
  
Whatever it was, made Varian's head throb with every beat of his racing heart. As if on cue, the shrill and never ending voices of his insecurities suddenly sprouted from the back of his mind and into his line of rational thoughts, smothering them until all he could think about was how much of a failure he was.  
  
The amber immediately pinned Cass's feet firmly into the cobblestone, and in seconds held her entire form in place. Her face was stretched in genuine panic, eyes flitting directly over to where Varian stood, mouth agape. Her gaze darted down at the weapon in his grasp before meeting his worried eyes, her lips drawn back in the beginning of a grimace before the amber sealed her expression.  
  
Varian nearly collapsed. His lungs tried desperately to bring air into him, but failed, leaving him speechless as Rapunzel spun around, braid flying to the side to reveal her furious face.  
  
"I said, we didn't need to attack her!" She almost snarled, voice dripping with venom, naturally making Varian flinch. Never before had he heard the princess use that tone of voice, not to mention, wear such a negative facial expression. It made the months of guilt he had buried into him exhume itself and plague his heart.  
  
The sudden debilitating thoughts rushed back into his mind, making Varian cringe at the familiarity of them as they taunted his self-esteem.  
  
This is your fault.  
  
See what happens when you aren't good enough?  
  
Will anyone forgive you for what you've done?  
  
Your father would never be proud of you.  
  
To make matters worse, Varian could feel Eugene's shock and disbelief radiate from his uniform, making his legs buzz with the urge to flee. To escape their accusing stares and gasps of shock. But his feet remained planted, eyes burning with the threat to spill tears and choke him with sobs.  
  
"I-I don't know what h-happened!" He finally managed to sputter, cringing as his voice cracked. "It.. it must've malfunctioned!"  
  
A suppressed sound of the unmistakable moonstone power began to hum lowly, before amplifying into full volume as Cassandra's amber prison shattered around her. Cass's power visibly coursed through her from the soles of her feet to the tips of her fingers, sending her fluorescent blue hair up into a airy frenzy before it settled back into its usual style.  
  
Her once vulnerable face however had twisted into the face of Varian's nightmares, her eyes still on him for a brief moment longer before boring into Rapunzel. "Project Obsidian, huh?" Her blue lips pulled back to reveal gritted teeth. Hauntingly, she added, "Zhan Tiri was right."  
  
Varian stood frozen next to Eugene as they watched Rapunzel try to reason with her, but to no avail. It was too late.  
  
Varian realized with an extensive amount of dread that Cassandra had nearly appeared normal again until his weapon fired at her. He had inadvertently ruined their chances at getting Cass back...  
  
The rest of the battle was a blur to Varian as he clung to Eugene's side, hands hardly being able to stay steady enough for him to properly aim at anything. In fact, Varian was partially relieved to have Project Obsidian crumble in his hands as Cassandra mercilessly sent a giant rock into it.

After they were forced to flee their own kingdom, Varian began to feel entirely responsible for the outcome of the day. If he had just stayed out of the way, they could have won Cass back..  
  
\- - -  
  
Varian decided to take a walk around the small cottage they were forced to reside in, despite the aching of his legs as they trembled in protest. He inhaled the midnight air, nearly forgetting his troubles for a solid heart beat; as guilty as it sounded.  
  
He just couldn't listen to the curious questions of children as they asked their parents what had happened, or the hasty comments of the guards as they huddled together, exchanging plans and schemes to overthrow Cassandra... all of it was warbled sound in his ears that fed the guilt in his gut even more.  
  
For the first time since before the battle, Varian finally sat down, blue eyes gazing tiredly across the starry water at the moon eerily highlighted the destruction brought upon the kingdom. He let out a shaky sigh. A cold breeze bit through his vest and undershirt, drawing goosebumps to the surface of his skin as he shivered, but he refused to leave his spot in the fresh growing grass.  
  
Heavy footsteps sounded suddenly behind him. His nerves spiked when a strong hand landed on his shoulder.  
  
"V-Varian, hey, kid," To his surprise, Eugene's voice sounded in his ear, and Varian craned his neck to peer up at his idol. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside? It's freezing!" He clutched his elbows and donned a immature facial expression for a second before quieting.  
  
Varian struggled to form words. He was embarrassed beyond anything that someone he viewed as his fictional hero had to see him in such a state and he battled fiercely to keep the tears inside.  
  
"Varian, you can talk to me, bud, it's okay to be scared," Eugene's voice carried a big brother tone as he sat down beside him, staining his perfectly white gloves as he leaned back on his hands.  
  
Varian looked over at Eugene, eyes glazed with tears. "I'm sorry," he finally mumbled, biting his lip. "B-But I swear to you," he looked the man into the eyes with as much sincerity as humanly possible. "I did not fire that shot, Captain."  
  
"Eugene," Eugene corrected, voice mirroring Varian's. He turned to Varian and placed his hands onto his shoulders, face looking determined and prideful. "Varian, you were nothing but brave today, and I couldn't be more proud of you." He gave the alchemist his signature smile, and embraced him.  
  
Varian's floodgates broke then, and he was hardly able to control himself as he sobbed into Eugene's pristine uniform, every ounce of regret, guilt, fear and hurt flooding out of him in a long, almost unintelligible string of words.  
  
Eugene merely rubbed his back and hummed cooling reassurances, deep voice vibrating against Varian's face as he clung to him. After finally calming down, Varian shakily pulled away, eyes puffy as he wiped the last few tears from his drained face.  
  
"Thanks, Eugene," he managed to croak, a small smile of gratitude tugging against his lips.  
  
Eugene smiled warmly before returning his gaze to the glittering water. "Anything for Team Awesome."

**Author's Note:**

> This episode LITERALLY gave me life and then ripped my heart out with absolutely no mercy whatsoever
> 
> I love how I desperately tried to stay canon and then at the end just assaulted you guys with Team Awesome fluff, but I'm sorry, Eugene is like Varian's big bro and I just couldnt help myself ^^
> 
> ALSO
> 
> Zhan Tiri needs to be locked away forever and ever and ever >:0
> 
> Leave a comment! ♡


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